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Customs Employs Experts and Guidelines to Prevent Eco-Threats

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have a peculiar job. While most travelers simply wade through lines at checkpoints, hoping to avoid extended delays and headaches, the agents themselves have to be on high-alert. That’s because passengers at major international airports are constantly attempting to bring forbidden items into the U.S.

Most of the passengers are simply unaware of the guidelines, but there are also cases of attempted smuggling. All told, Customs intercepted over 825,000 items last year alone. The examples range from simple items such as rice from banned countries to the extreme: guinea pig meat and live birds stuffed in carry-on bags.

Because of the ever-growing list of banned items and passengers’ penchant for the unexpected, Customs employs experts in the different types of threats that banned items pose. Primarily, the concerns relate to agricultural items which can spread disease and introduce foreign elements into our ecosystem which are unnatural.

For more on the challenges faced daily by Customs, see the full article here.